2023-24 G-MAC Women's Basketball All-Conference Teams
Two of the engines of one of the best Hillsdale College women's basketball seasons in recent memory got some much-deserved recognition on Thursday afternoon, as senior Sydney Mills and Lauren McDonald each brought home all-conference honors from the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
For Mills, who was one of 10 players to earn first-team All-G-MAC honors for the 2023-24 season, the honor is the fourth all-conference honor in a row. That puts Mills in elite company in Hillsdale history, as she joins former All-American Stephanie Heid as one of just two players to receive four consecutive all-conference honors in her career.
Mills will graduate as a Hillsdale legend with a statistical resume few who've ever put on a Hillsdale jersey can match. The fifth-year senior from DeWitt ranks in the top 10 all-time in Hillsdale history in five categories, and became Hillsdale's all-time leading rebounder on Saturday, Feb. 24 at Findlay, surpassing Sandy Skaisgir's total of 1,146 set from 1986-91 and finishing the season with 1,181 boards. She's one of only three players in Chargers history along with Skaisgir and Megan Fogt to score 1,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds in her career, and she currently ranks eighth in total points with 1,440, sixth in blocked shots with 83, 10th in field goals made with 501, and eighth in 3-pointers made with 182. She also finishes her career with 41 double-doubles, joining Megan Fogt and Katie Cezat in that all-time category for Hillsdale.
Despite missing seven games with an injury this season, Mills was essential to Hillsdale's best conference record since 2018-19 and best conference finish since 2008-09, hitting a game-winning buzzer beater in a 51-49 win over Walsh and scoring in double figures in 15 of the 22 games she played this season, as well as 17 games of eight or more rebounds.
McDonald, meanwhile, parlayed a breakout campaign in 2023-24 into second-team All-G-MAC honors, the first all-conference honor of her career. The Air Force transfer was stellar in her first full season with the Chargers after transferring in mid-year in 2022-23, finishing 10th in the G-MAC in points per game, 10th in rebounds per game, eighth in assists per game and ninth in steals per game in a prolific all-around statistical performance. A combo guard who played both at the point and off the ball, McDonald had 19 double-digit scoring games, including three games of 20 or more points, and was clutch throughout the season, hitting a shot as time expired to force overtime in a 71-61 home victory over Malone, and scoring the game-winning basket with under 15 seconds to play in a 64-63 overtime win at Ohio Dominican.
The junior from Chicago, Illinois led the Chargers in scoring and assists and finished second in blocks, steals and rebounds while also shooting a team-best 81.8% from the free throw line.
Hillsdale finished the season 17-12 overall and 13-7 in G-MAC play, tying for fourth place in the regular season conference standings with Mills and McDonald leading the way.
Photos by Reva Ludwig and Isabella Sheehan